Fishing rod protective carrier and method

ABSTRACT

In a preferred embodiment, the present invention provides a collapsible, storable device for carrying and protecting a multiplicity of fully rigged fishing rods and reels. The present carrier provides a compact load while sufficiently segregating the poles to prevent the tangling of lines, lures, hooks etc. The carrier preferably comprises a durable yet lightweight polymeric material to protect and secure the fishing rods in place. The carrier is also configured with a strap for hands free transportation.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates generally to fishing tackle and more particularly to a device and method of carrying and protecting a plurality of fully rigged fishing rods.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Fishing is a sport that requires patience, however, it is also a pastime that requires preparation. When fish are biting, a premium is placed on the ability to access your gear quickly. Moreover, in order to find the right fishing location, mobility is essential. Additionally, the need for more than one rod may arise. As a result, attempts have been made to provide carrying cases for multiple fishing rods. Most of these devices have a hard case made from an extruded plastic or metal alloy that provides good external protection.

[0003] An example of such a device is U.S. Pat. No. 2,501,270 issued to Fleming, which discloses a case having a compartment for fishing rods and guns, or both rods and guns, and other compartments for other fishing and hunting equipment or accessories, such as reels, lines, flies, shells, etc. The kit is cylindrical, when closed. When opened, the respective parts are on an even keel on a supporting surface such as the ground, a table, or the like. However, these devices are bulky and are cumbersome to carry and deploy when traveling. Moreover, with an emphasis on external protection, such devices do not necessarily protect the fishing rods from tangling with one another.

[0004] In order to address the internal protection problem, hard cased devices were invented that also have internal segregation means. U.S. Pat. No. 3,399,009 issued to Slade describes a case for fishing rods formed from metal or plastic strips providing a frame and sheet-like panels anchored to the frame. By providing fishing rod partitioning members, the Slade device becomes even less portable than the Fleming device. Moreover, both the Fleming and the Slade devices fail to provide a carrying case for a fully rigged fishing rod in particular and a fully assembled fishing rods in general. In order to use the Fleming and Slade devices, the fishing rods have to be at least partially disassembled.

[0005] U.S. Pat. No. 4,572,416 issued to Upham discloses a fishing rod carrier for holding and protecting fishing rods in their assembled state. The fishing rod carrier has a plurality of parallel spaced-apart tubular members having open-ended slots at their entry ends to slidably receive therein the posts for the reels of the respective fishing rods held in the tubular members. The Upham device addresses unnecessary disassembly of the rod, require by other devices, but it fails to address the issue of internal protection in general and protection of the reel in particular. The Upham device also is not portable in that it is not transportable on ones person.

[0006] Since the need for a device that allowed a user to carry a rod, with reels attached, remained, Wright, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,674,190 provided a carrier for fishing rods with reels attached. Reel protectors extend transverse to and beyond at least two sides of an elongated member and adjacent one end of the elongated member to protect at least two rods held against the two sides. A removable cover covers the handles and reels. A flexible strap attached to the cover extends over the shoulder of the user. The focus of this device is the protection of the reel to the detriment of the pole, lures etc. The elongated member of the Wright device does not adequately protect the multiple poles from getting entangled. Moreover the poles are inversely flexed in order to protect the reels. As a result the reel is the only part of the fishing tackle that is being adequately protected. Additionally, by forcing the poles outwardly at the handle, the Wright device becomes bottom heavy and therefore awkward to use in practice. In essence, it is difficult to carry and it is not easily storable.

[0007] U.S. Pat. No. 5,421,117 issued to Geraci discloses a carrier, transport, and storage device for securing together, transporting, and storing the segments of a fully-rigged fishing rod after it has been temporarily broken down for transport or storage. U.S. Pat. No. 5,450,688 issued to Hall discloses a device for supporting and transporting a plurality of fishing rods when disassembled into two pieces. Both the Geraci device and the Hall device suffer from the limitations of the Wright device in that they unreasonably focus on the protection of the reel to the exclusion of the other parts. Additionally, both of these devices require the partial disassembly of the fishing rods.

[0008] U.S. Pat. No. 5,664,721 issued to Homeyer discloses a backpack-style carrier for transporting sporting equipment; such as a rifle, a shotgun, an archery bow, or two fishing rods. This device provides the mobility that is desirable in a carrying device for fishing rods, unfortunately, it fails to protect the fishing rods externally or internally. In short, the Homeyer device is carrier but not a protector.

[0009] A problem common to each of these devices is a means to effectively store the device after the rods are removed from the device. Therefore, there remains an existing need for a portable, storable device that adequately carries and protects multiple fully rigged fishing rods externally as well as internally. In particular, a need exists for a device made of a flexible yet durable material that can protect the fishing rods from tangling while protecting the user of the device from the exposed fishing hooks. Moreover, there is a need for a device that when not in use, can be folded and stowed in a pocket or other small compartment.

SUMMARY OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

[0010] The present invention provides a new and useful device for carrying a plurality of fishing rods without tangling and an adjustable shoulder strap allows hands-free transporting. One of the unique abilities of the present invention is the capacity to store the device when not in use without the difficulties encountered with other like devices.

[0011] It is, therefore, a principal object in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention to provide a novel device for carrying fishing rods without tangling.

[0012] It is another object of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention to provide a novel device, which can preferably, but not necessarily, accommodate eight, fully rigged fishing rods.

[0013] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a novel device, which includes at least one strap member to secure the device to the user thereof.

[0014] Yet another objective in accordance with the present invention is to provide a protection and carrying device that is made from a lightweight yet durable material. In the furtherance of this and other objectives, a polymeric material is provided that is substantially tear resistant yet readily foldable.

[0015] The present invention possesses many advantages and features. Further objectives, features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent to those persons skilled in this area of technology and others when reading the detailed description of exemplary preferred embodiments of the present invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention depicting how the device holds and carries multiple fully-rigged fishing rods and reels.

[0017]FIG. 2 is aerial perspective view of a device in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention in the expanded unused state.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0018] The present invention addresses the limitations of other carrier and protection devices while providing additional advantages. In a preferred embodiment, the present invention provides a sleek carrier that can accommodate preferably 1-8 fully rigged fishing rods. In the furtherance of this objective, an exemplary device has at least one protective retainer that encircles the fishing rods in a manner that protects the poles from one another as well as from damage from outside forces. Moreover, the user of the device is protected from the lures or other fishing tackle that could catch their outerwear.

[0019] The device is preferably lightweight for easy carrying while the material is still durable. Throughout this specification reference shall be made to various components of the device, however, each of these components can be made of different suitable materials and be present in different amounts and extents without departing from the spirit of the invention. As a result, reference to material, number, dimensions etc, should in no way be construed as limiting but rather considered as examples of preferable information for making and using the device.

[0020] The following reference numbers and corresponding fishing rod protection and carrier device components are used when describing the device in relation to the figures: 10 PROTECTION AND CARRIER DEVICE 15 FISHING ROD 20 REEL 25 DISTAL RETAINER 30 DISTAL RETAINER OUTER SURFACE 35 DISTAL RETAINER INNER SURFACE 40 DISTAMEDIAL RETAINER 45 DISTAMEDIAL RETAINER OUTER SURFACE 50 DISTAMEDIAL RETAINER INNER SURFACE 55 PROXIMAL RETAINER 60 PROXIMAL RETAINER OUTER SURFACE 65 PROXIMAL RETAINER INNER SURFACE 70 PROXIMEDIAL RETAINER 75 PROXIMEDIAL RETAINER OUTER SURFACE 80 PROXIMEDIAL RETAINER INNER SURFACE 85 SPINE 90 SPINE DISTAL END 95 SPINE PROXIMAL END NS PADDING 105  STRAP

[0021] Reference will know be made to the figures generally, where like numeral refers to like components. In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided, as illustrated in FIG. 1, a novel device 10 for transporting up to eight fully rigged fishing rods 15 with reels 20. In order to keep the device 10 lightweight yet durable, a spine 85 extends longitudinally along portions of the fishing rods 15. In a preferred embodiment, the device 10 has a distal retainer 25 and a proximal retainer 55 about the distal 90 and proximal ends 95 of the spine 85, respectively. The distal retainer 25 is generally smaller, but not necessarily, than the proximal retainer 55.

[0022] Both the distal retainer 25 and the proximal retainer 55 are configured to couple with portions of the plurality of fishing rods 15 by any number of conventional means such as, clasps, adhesives, loops, hooks, snaps, tying, buckles etc. In a preferred embodiment, mating strips of adhesive material is formed on a corresponding section of the outer 30 and inner 35 surfaces of the distal retainer 25 and the outer 60 and inner surfaces 65 of the proximal retainer 55. Preferably, the mating strips of adhesive form a Velcro® closure. To this end, both distal retainer 25 and proximal retainer 55 are adjustable to secure the poles 15 regardless of the number provided.

[0023] Coupled with the spine 85 between the distal retainer 25 and the proximal retainer 55 is preferably a distamedial retainer 40 and a proximedial retainer 70. The distamedial retainer 40 is preferably the largest of the retainers and serves as a means of protecting both the main rigging of the fishing rods 15 and the user. Distamedial retainer 40 preferably has mating closures formed on and/or from respective portions of the outer 45 and inner surfaces 50 of the distamedial retainer 40. The mating closure is secure while allowing ready access to the functional components of the fishing rod. It is preferred that the distamedial retainer 40 cover about a two foot portion of the fishing rod 15 and preferably the portion where the lure and other functional components would hang.

[0024] The distamedial retainer 40, comprises a flexible yet sturdy material cable of resisting tears. Preferably, the flexible yet sturdy material is a ballistic coated nylon but may be a variety of other materials known in the art. Additionally, the distamedial retainer 40 has padding (not shown) coupled with portions of the inner surface 50 thereof. When the distamedial retainer is placed about the fishing rod 15, it securely retains each pole 15 in a manner that keeps them generally in place and the fishing line in particular from tangling. Moreover, the distamedial retainer 40 prevents undesireable shift and bumping of the poles 15 so as to prevent internal damage. Additionally, the snug closure about the poles prevents external damage.

[0025] An additional feature (not shown) of an alternative embodiment of the present invention is the presence of grooves formed on portions of the inner surface 50 of the distal medial retainer 40 so as to further secure the plurality of fishing rods 15.

[0026] The proximamedial retainer 70 preferably has mating closures, analogous to that of the other retainers described above, formed on respective portions of the outer 75 and inner 80 surfaces thereof.

[0027] The proximedial retainer 70 and the proximal retainer 55 are preferably configured about the spine 85 such that the distamidal retainer 70 and the proximal retainer 55 are coupled with portions of the fishing rods 15 above and below the reel 20, respectively. However, as stated before, the retainers can be located in varying locations along the spine so as to adequately protect and carry the fishing rods 15. Moreover, devices in accordance with the present invention may have a greater or lesser number of retainers based on the needs of the user. To this end, an alternative embodiment in accordance with the present invention provides a device 10 that has retainers that are reversibly coupled with the spine 85.

[0028] Coupled with portions of the spine 85 is also a strap 105. Strap 105 is preferably adjustable and may, in alternative embodiments be fixed and/or removable. It is also preferable that the distal retainer 25, proximedial retainer 70, the proximal retainer 55 and the strap 105 be formed from the same material. Suitable materials may include but are not limited to, cotton, polyester, vinyl, nylon, leather, or a combination of these and other natural or synthetic fibers.

[0029] There has been illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described hereinabove only one unique and novel preferred embodiment of the present invention which can be constructed in several different sizes and shapes. It should be understood that many changes, modifications, variations, and other uses and applications will become apparent to those persons skilled in this particular area of technology and to others after having been exposed to the present specification and accompanying drawings.

[0030] For example, the device may be used and/or adapted to carry other objects or items, such as, for example, rifles, archery or hunting bows, spears, arrows, golf or croquet clubs, etc.

[0031] Any and all such changes, modifications, variations, and other uses and applications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention are therefore covered by and embraced within the present invention and patent application and the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A protection and carrying device for a fully rigged and assembled fishing rod, comprising: a flexible retainer having a closure, the retainer suitable for covering and protecting a portion of a fully rigged and assembled fishing rod; and a strap coupled with a portion of the retainer.
 2. The device of claim 1, wherein the retainer is formed from a material selected from the group consisting of polymer, vinyl, nylon, cotton, plastic, leather, or combinations thereof.
 3. The device of claim 2, wherein the retainer is formed of ballistic coated nylon.
 4. The device of claim 1, wherein the strap is adjustable.
 5. The device of claim 1, wherein the strap is removable.
 6. A protection and carrying device for a fully rigged and assembled fishing rod, comprising: a spine; a first flexible retainer having a closure, the retainer suitable for covering and protecting a portion of a fully rigged and assembled fishing rod and is coupled with a portion of the spine; and a strap coupled with a portion of the spine.
 7. The device of claim 1, wherein the retainer further comprises an inner and an outer surface, the inner surface further comprising padding coupled with portions thereof.
 8. The device of claim 7, wherein the retainer further comprises grooves for immobilizing the fully rigged and assembled fishing rod.
 9. The device of claim 1, further comprising a second retainer for covering a portion of the handle, below the reel of the fully rigged and assembled fishing rod.
 10. The device of claim 9, further comprising a third retainer for covering a portion of the fully rigged fishing rod above the reel of the fully rigged fishing rod but below the first retainer.
 11. The device of claim 10, further comprising a fourth retainer for covering a portion of the fully rigged fishing rod above the first retainer.
 12. The device of claim 11, wherein the strap is adjustable.
 13. The device of claim 11, wherein the strap is removable.
 14. The device of claim 2, wherein the closure is Velcro.
 15. A method of using a fully rigged and assembled fishing rod protection and carrying device, comprising the steps of: providing at least one fishing rod; providing a carrying device comprising a flexible retainer having an inner surface, outer surface and a closure, the retainer suitable for covering and protecting a portion of a fully rigged and assembled fishing rod and a strap coupled with a portion of the retainer; laying open the retainer; placing the fully rigged and assembled fishing rod on the inner surface of the retainer; and closing the retainer securely about a portion of the fully rigged and assembled fishing rod.
 16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of grasping the strap in order to lift and carry the device.
 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the strap of the device is adjustable.
 18. The method of claim 15, wherein the device further comprises three additional retainers configured to be coupled with different portions of the fully rigged and assembled fishing rod.
 19. The method of claim 15, wherein the inner surface of the retainer further comprises padding coupled with portions thereof.
 20. The device of claim 15, wherein the retainer further comprises grooves for immobilizing the fully rigged and assembled fishing rod. 